


The Weight of Us

by Amaria_Anna_D



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-01
Updated: 2016-09-01
Packaged: 2018-08-12 10:15:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7930843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amaria_Anna_D/pseuds/Amaria_Anna_D
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shiro is feeling the pressure from everything that has happened to him, and he isn't quite ready to open up to anyone. Coran is just looking for a place to drink in peace. The (arguably) two most stressed residents of the castle find something almost like peace. (Non-romantic)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Weight of Us

It amazed Shiro how a ship so large constantly felt so crowded. The four paladins were more hassle than fifty cadets could ever be, he was sure of it, but it was more than just their hijinks that had him feeling on edge. Somehow, it felt like the whole damn universe was getting smaller around him by the day, and the ship along with its residents were just one part of what was closing in on him. Resting his back against the console, he sunk down to the floor, staring out at the once seemingly vast space before him. He could remember what it had felt like to look to the skies with wonder and a sense of adventure, but those days were lost now. Space was a place of cold, pain and enemies. Even the stars had lost their shine.

That evening Shiro had gone to bed early only to abandon his bunk once the others were asleep. He didn’t want to try to explain his somber mood to anyone—particularly not to Allura. Her eyes had been on him too much lately. He couldn’t help the subtle feeling that she could see through him at times, and that was something he just couldn’t handle. Despite his respect for the princess, he couldn’t ask her to bare his burdens along with her own. So instead of finding solace among his friends, Shiro had made his way to the deck to watch the stars as they passed by.

He let his thoughts drift to Earth. It was getting harder to summon up the faces of those he left behind at home when he had to block out the faces of those he failed, but if he tried hard enough he could still remember the good things. Having a beer with friends. Family dinners spent round a battered table. Watching baseball on a summer afternoon. He’d known he’d be leaving it for a while—not that he wouldn’t likely ever return. He missed it all so much, but more than anything he missed the feeling of not knowing just how bad things could be. He missed the feeling of having two flesh hands to run through the blades of grass beneath him and the ability to say with honesty that he was not a killer. Those things had been lost on a Galra ship.

The soft sound of booted footsteps coming down the hall jolted Shiro from his thoughts. He dusted himself off and stood up, trying to formulate an excuse of some kind. Coran appeared on the deck and merely raised a fiery brow at the Earth man’s presence.

“Fine, quiet night, isn’t it?” the Altean murmured as he slide down along side Shiro.

“Yeah,” the human returned curtly. “Sorry to have bothered you.”

Coran shook his head and reached inside of his jacket, pulling out a flask of sorts. “You didn’t. If anything I bothered you, and I can leave if you want me to.”

“If doesn’t bother you, it doesn’t bother me,” Shiro agreed.

He sat back down and continued to watch the stars without trying to engage the older man any further. Neither of them spoke, but at some point, Coran handed him the flask. The liquid inside was sweet and had just a bit of an after burn to it. Thankfully, Shiro didn’t disgrace himself by coughing as he had with previous Altean beverages. After several more sips, the drink became almost pleasant, and he began to feel the edges blur.

“It’s a wine made from berries that used to grow in the valleys of Altea. Potent stuff, but delicious. The castle has barrels upon barrels of it locked in the cellar—enough wine to keep the Altean court drunk for years—but I can’t help but wonder how many years it will take with only the two of us drinking it now and again,” Coran mused with the edges of his mustache twitching lightly.

Shiro shrugged. “I’ve never been much of a drinker.”

“Me either,” Coran agreed sardonically before taking another long drink. “I suppose there is a beginning to everything though.”

Accepting the flask, Shiro couldn’t say if he was happy or sad to know that there was someone on the ship feeling like he did. Rather than think too much on it, he swallowed more wine and forced his eyes to the stars.

 

 


End file.
